by valliesong » March 1st, 2006, 8:02 pm
cats of all ages can catch ringworm, although it is more common in kittens and cats with immune issues. we had a bout of it at the shelter in one of the cat "colonies" and had to put quite a few to sleep. the others we treated.
if you are treating the cat yourself (although it sounds like you aren't), set him/her up in a dog crate or cat condo somewhere in the house that the other animals do not have access to. wear disposable gloves every time you handle the cat, and a gown or smock, or even complete change of clothing. clean all laundry and other surfaces with bleach, as most disinfectants do not kill the fungus. using a drop cloth beneath the cage will also help catch the fungal spores.
we used lime sulfur dips weekly, and they do smell horrible! it stinks like rotten eggs. i would wait until the cat tests negative, and then do one more dip. after that you should be safe in introducing him/her to other animals. you can also use something called a wood's lamp to check for spores in the coat.
one other thing to watch out for is the possibility of secondary infections in the former ringworm areas. i do not think it is too common, but it did happen to one of the cats we were treating.